South Africa
While considered a New World wine country, a winemaking tradition and history dating back over three and a half centuries blends the restrained elegance of the old world with the accessible, fruit driven styles of the new, making varied and exciting wines which reflect the distinctive terroir of South Africa's diverse wine regions. South Africa's vineyards spread out from the wine capital of Cape Town, and total more than 250,000 acres – a 20% increase since 1994, the country now ranks as the seventh largest producer of wine in the world.
As a winegrowing region, the Cape is unique. Two oceans, the Atlantic and the Indian, mountainous topography and myriad soil types allow for numerous microclimates, warm ones and cool ones, which result in a wide range of wines and wine styles. Among red varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted, followed by Syrah (also known as Shiraz) and Merlot. Among the white varieties, Chenin Blanc (sometimes called Steen) remains the most widely planted. Chenin is followed by Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, which are on the rise. South Africa's Wine of Origin system has been in place since 1973, and this protects the distinct qualities of wine from certain areas, grape varieties and vintages. Wine bearing the name of a region, district or ward must contain grapes from that area only.